Tile Council of North America (TCNA) has announced the addition of a five-category “product use classification system” in ANSI A326.3 American National Standard Test Method for Measuring Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard Surface Flooring Materials, published on February 2, 2022.

“This revision to A326.3, resulting from years of testing, research, and consensus-building, represents perhaps the most significant slip/fall communications advancement in the flooring industry since the 1950’s when standards were proposed to measure the frictional properties of flooring,” said TCNA Director of Standards Development and Sustainability Initiatives, Bill Griese. “This classification system is a key step forward for better specifications and consumer safety

Given its importance and beneficial impact, TCNA has made a free digital copy of the standard available to the public at TCNAtile.com.

The five product use categories are as follows:

• Interior, Dry (ID)

  • [DCOF 0.42 or greater]

  • Possible Areas of Use: Shopping malls, hotel lobbies, office buildings, showrooms, home interiors without water sources.

• Interior, Wet (IW)

  • [DCOF 0.42 or greater]

  • Possible Areas of Use: Entry Foyers, Public Restrooms, Grocery Stores, Front of House of Restaurants. Any area that can be walked upon with wet shoes.

• Interior, Wet Plus (IW+)

  • [DCOF 0.50 or greater]

  • Possible Areas of Use: Public Showers, Interior Pool Decks, Locker Rooms, Covered Exterior Areas, Steam Rooms.

• Exterior, Wet (EW)

  • [DCOF 0.55 or greater]

  • Possible Areas of Use: Level Outdoor Living Spaces, Pool Decks, Walkways, Patios and Sidewalks.

• Oils/Greases (O/G)

  • [DCOF 0.55 or greater]

  • Possible Areas of Use: Areas regularly exposed to automotive fluids, back of the house fast food or family style restaurants where oil, grease and fats may be present.

According to the standard, hard surface flooring products shall be classified into one or more of the categories. Additionally, the standard provides informative “possible areas of use” for each category. Each category has a recommended DCOF value as stated above.

The testing of the floors is to be done with a BOT3000e Tribometer by Regan Scientific Instruments. Walkway Management South Florida is fully certified and trained to perform these tests.

“The product use classifications in ANSI A326.3 are simple, clear, and easily understood. Most importantly, the availability of this product use information in the marketplace will lead to a reduction in slip events,” said TCNA Executive Director, Eric Astrachan.

Slip testing your floors should be a top priority in ensuring the safety of your clients and employees. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, “those who fail to prepare, are preparing to fail.”

If you’d like to order slip testing done for your facilities, please email us at info@wmgsouthfl.com.